Rep. Nancy Pelosi served as the strongest Democratic foil to President Donald Trump the last time he occupied the White House, besting him at times with panache.
There was the contentious Oval Office meeting in 2018 when Pelosi strutted away in a brick-red coat and sunglasses after scolding Trump not to underestimate her powers as speaker of the House. After ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, Pelosi offered Trump a condescending mini-clap during his State of the Union speech in 2019. The San Francisco representative went a step further during the 2020 speech, ripping up Trump’s printed remarks just weeks after getting him impeached.
Camera-ready moments such as these served to galvanize Democrats and deflate Trump, whose first term was dogged by policy bungles, palace intrigue, and personal scandals.
But times have changed.
Emboldened by a Congress and Supreme Court dominated by conservatives, Trump in his second term has launched a blitzkrieg approach to dismantling federal institutions. The newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, led by billionaire Elon Musk and a handful of angry nerds, is threatening to slash billions in foreign aid and domestic programs as tens of thousands of federal workers are told to take a hike.
San Francisco political observers are increasingly wondering whether Pelosi — who at age 84 has receded from leadership and now goes by the title speaker emerita — is meeting the moment. The most accomplished woman in the history of U.S. politics has been conspicuously missing in action over the last month, calling to mind the gradual public decline of the late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Political insiders in the city have expressed confusion over why Pelosi chose to remain in office for a 20th term if she is not interested in more aggressively taking up the fight against Trump and Musk.
In just the past two weeks, Trump has taken significant steps to freeze government spending, threaten tariffs on allies, and slash funding for nongovernmental organizations and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. A judge temporarily froze some of Trump’s orders amid concerns over the effects of disrupting programs such as Medicaid, student loans, and SNAP food aid.
Yet the sum of Pelosi’s response since Trump’s inauguration seems to have been a tele-town hall where she expressed “grave concern” over his “hostile takeover” of the government and a data-protection bill that will likely go nowhere.
Pelosi declined to comment, but her office acknowledged that, compared with Trump’s first term, she is taking a different approach to Trump’s shock-and-awe tactics. Rather than opposing the president on every issue, she and the Democratic caucus are being more selective in how they spar, choosing to selectively fight on three fronts: legislation, litigation, and communication.
The issue that arises with this strategy is that Democrats are in the minority and have no ability to move legislation. Lawsuits could prove effective in delaying, if not blocking, Trump executive orders like ending birthright citizenship. When it comes to communication, Pelosi’s town hall — held via phone — probably reached as many people under 40 as a telegram, according to one state and national political consultant.
Pelosi could believe keeping San Francisco out of the limelight will make the city less likely to be targeted by Trump. Mayor Daniel Lurie is employing a similar strategy.
On Thursday, Pelosi introduced the Taxpayer Data Protection Act to safeguard sensitive financial data within the U.S. Department of the Treasury after Musk’s acolytes obtained Americans’ Social Security numbers and payment transaction records. But with Democrats holding a minority in the House, this effort is essentially symbolic.
Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat who represents the South Bay, has been far more aggressive in fighting Trump and Musk on social media and in TV Interviews. In a call with The Standard, he acknowledged that Democrats have been picking their battles, but Trump’s actions involving the Treasury may have invigorated a new resistance.
“That really was a bridge too far, and that has awakened the Democratic base around the country, and it has stiffened the spine of many of my colleagues,” he said.
Khanna said any criticism of Pelosi’s approach misses the mark, as she’s serving in an adviser role after ceding leadership of House Democrats to Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) in 2022.
“She was indisputably successful in standing up to Donald Trump in the first term,” Khanna said. “She’s become iconic because of how she stood up to him. And I think she’s going to be there as an elder statesman of our party, for advice on how best to stand up to him and how best to win back the Congress.”
Khanna added, “If anything, I think she should be given credit for transitioning and allowing a new generation to emerge.”
Questions about Pelosi’s future are inevitable due to her age and health — she has been on the mend after having a hip replaced late last year following a fall during a diplomatic trip to Luxembourg. She also suffered a personal toll, from attempts on her life during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol to a man invading her San Francisco home in October 2022 and beating her husband, Paul, nearly to death with a hammer.
However, any talk of succession plans for San Francisco’s seat in the House has been met with fierce resistance by Pelosi’s inner circle.
She has filed papers to run in 2026, but that paperwork was required by law due to fundraising rules. Pelosi has not formally announced plans to seek another term. Potential challengers are waiting in the wings, though, as evidenced by the announced candidacy last week of Saikat Chakrabarti, a former software engineer for Stripe who worked as a chief of staff for progressive Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
State Sen. Scott Wiener, who is interested in filling Pelosi’s seat when she decides to retire, held his own virtual town hall last week, and it was clear that San Franciscans are seeking vocal leadership in a moment of fear and uncertainty. Roughly 700 people logged on to Wiener’s event, and one of the most common questions submitted wasn’t about a succession plan for Pelosi but whether California should secede from the United States.
At her own town hall, Pelosi stressed that Democrats need to talk to voters about “kitchen table” issues while suggesting the party isn’t far from regaining some power in Congress.
“Remember this: We did not lose the election. We won a seat — the House Democrats won a seat in the last election,” Pelosi said. “We’re only a couple seats away from victory.”